Johann Schmidt (Earth-2004)
HI story Johann Schmidt was born in a small town in northern Germany. He was a smart student and eventually became a physicist. Over the years, he became interested in Norse mythology. Schmidt had developed a theory that Norse Gods and their "Magic" could be more than a myth. Eventually, he became a member of HYDRA, an ancient society that followed a political doctrine, but who had once worshiped a powerful Inhuman; this past belief being very kindred to Schmidt's theories. He became a follower of a principle that the ultimate power was not of this world. In February 1934, at the Deutsches Opernhaus in Berlin, Schmidt met Adolf Hitler, the Führer of Nazi Germany, the Third Reich. With him was Ernst Kaufmann, head of the Sturmabteilung's Special Weapons Division. Schmidt revealed his theory that Magic could be “the oldest science ever known” to them. Hitler was intrigued by Schmidt's ideas, but Kaufmann was less impressed. Nevertheless, Hitler then ordered Kaufmann to arrange a meeting between him and Schmidt. But, when Hitler left the scene, Kaumfann and his men took Schmidt from the opera. Schmidt offered to conduct research in Kaufmann's special weapons division but was violently rejected. Kaufmann threatened to kill Schmidt if he came near Hitler again. But when Kaufmann and his men returned to the opera, Schmidt was approached by Heinrich Himmler, head of the Schutzstaffel, the elite Nazi paramilitary unit that served as Hitler's bodyguard. Himmler was interested in Schmidt's ideas and recruited him into the SS. In 1940, Schmidt learned that a version of the mysterious super solider syurem had been made, and greedy for power, Schmidt wanted it for himself. Schmidt took the syrum for himself, and mindlessly injected it into his body, with no thought for its side effects. Those effects were harsh, disfiguring his face to a point beyond where he even looked human. When Hitler found him, he called him "Red Skull". That was the name Schmidt took for himself, becoming the Red Skull, the face of HYDRA, and leading their operations. Eventully, the syrum was corrected, and the super solider Steve Rogers became Captain America. America fought the Red Skull on many occasions, until HYDRA found the Tesseract, and Captain America went to stop him. In the fray, the Tesseract teleported Red Skull beyond time. The Mind Games Red Skull returned when he was teleported Sakaar by Shadelock for The Mind Games. Red Skull survived the initial bloodbath, and was spotted by Rogers on the battlefield, his survival plaguing Rogers for most the games. When the Captain took night watch, he spotted Red Skull once again, and against the wishes of the other Avengers, went after him. Red Skull shot at Captain America, who hit him with his sheild. Red Skull finally surrendered, after Rogers convinced him the war was over. Red Skull stood up, to let Cap handcuff him, before saying "hail hydra" and detonating a bomb he was holding behind his back, but was blasted back from Rogers by Carol Danvers, who had followed Steve. As he was shot back the bomb detonated and blew up, putting an end to Johann Schmidt. Category:Earth-2004 Category:Deceased characters of Earth-2004 Category:Killed in The Mind Games Category:Versions of Red Skull